Suman Vaze

I seek to depict interesting mathematical truths, curiosities and puzzles in simple, visually descriptive ways. Mathematical amusements inspire the color and form in my paintings, and I try to strike a balance between the simplicity of the concepts and their depiction in art. The logic and balance of the discipline is beautiful, and I like art that both stills and stimulates the mind – these are the qualities I strive to capture in my work.

Sacred Cut

24" x 30"

Acrylic on canvas

2010

The Sacred Cut was perhaps historically used to find a method to double the area of a given square. For example, in order to double the altar they could not simply double the sides. The Sacred Cut gave a means to do it. It produces the Silver Rectangle with ratio of sides 1:√2 which is used in A Form paper. This work illustrates how to construct the Silver Rectangle or the Sacred Cut and also gives an impression of doubling both the rectangles and the squares.

The Pascal Line

24" x 24"

Acrylic on canvas

2010

At the age of 16, Blaise Pascal discovered and published his famous theorem entitled Essai pour les Coniques. The theorem states that if a hexagon is inscribed in a conic then the three points in which the opposite sides meet are collinear. The line is The Pascal Line. My work shows the Pascal Line in a zig-zag inscribed hexagon.

Three Fish on a Plate - Common Chords

24" x 24"

Acrylic on canvas

2010

If three circles intersect, the three common chords intersect at a point.